Descartes to acquire software provider

Descartes Systems Group has signed an agreement to purchase Integrated Export Systems (IES) and IES Asia for approximately $35 million in cash. IES offers software-as-a-service solutions for freight forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs), and customs brokers. It has offices in New Jersey and Hong Kong.

“IES is a market leader in forwarding and customs brokerage systems, and regulatory compliance services,” said Edward Ryan, chief commercial officer at Descartes. “By combining the IES solutions with our logistics technology platform, we strengthen our application footprint for forwarders, NVOCCs and customs brokers. We will also add thousands of logistics service providers in Asia to our global logistics community with the potential to drive new transactions over our global logistics network.”

IES’s systems process numerous transactions and documents critical to the flow of goods, including warehouse receipts, purchase orders and commercial invoices, which can be made available over Descartes’ cloud-based global logistics network.

According to Descartes, the agreement will also provide IES customers with access to additional shipment execution capabilities such as airfreight bookings, and access to a wider geographic range of regulatory compliance services for shipment security filings in Europe and South America.

“We’ve been working with the IES team as part of our United by Design partner program for more than 6 years,” said Art Mesher, chairman & CEO at Descartes. “IES has a results-based culture, recurring revenue subscription model and profit discipline that is similar to our own. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming them to the Descartes team.”

The transaction is expected to close during Descartes’ fiscal second quarter ending July 31, 2012.